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Branching Conclusion
Night Time Wul Jungle The night time was a peaceful moment in the Wul Jungle, which allowed anyone to see the array of stars that painted the sky with their sparkle, showing a peaceful serene. A small light was seen in the middle of a large column of trees, hidden away from any of the beasts that might have found their way towards them. The only visible people that could be seen in the light of the glow was Michelle, Hakku, and Zeke, who was looking and keeping an eye on his partner. Deker was laying on a bed of puffy leaves, wrapped from head to toe in bandages after the fight that he endured against the blue-haired man. Michelle was cooking some of the Aero Serpent that the man left behind, despite the fact that he got the best parts, she knew that all of it could be eaten. Her attention turned over to Hakku, who was sitting with his knees brought up against his chest, looking into the fire. "First time seeing such a intense pressure I take it?" She inquired. Hakku nodded mutely. He had no idea that anyone could really have that kind of power. Sure, he had heard stories, the same stories everyone else heard about Bishokuya, about the likes of the Five Gourmet Overlords. But he had thought that stories like those had been exaggerated, like most stories and legends. Yet, seeing that kind of power earlier that day it was... it was just overwhelming, pure and simple. As he tore his eyes away from the fire and towards the unconscious pink-haired man, it amazed him that anyone could survive anything like that either. A soft groan soon caught their attention as Deker found himself slowly opening his eyes, but quickly shot up as he realized what had happened. That was a mistake on his part as he winced in pain from the wounds that he endured. Michelle went over, kneeling down as she looked him over, making sure he didn't reopen any wounds. "Are you okay?" She asked, making him look up to her and nod. "Yeah... Though it feels like I got mowed down by a herd of Emerald Dragons," he remarked, earning him a slap on the head by his partner. "You should be so lucky, what the hell were you thinking?!" She yelled out, making him hold his head in pain as she passed him a cup to drink from. "I thought I could take him..." he replied in honesty, drinking the elixir and shuddering at the taste. "Thought you could take him?" Michelle repeated incredulously. Hakku was just happy that Deker was alright. Sure, he had only met the man today, but he had already seen amble evidence that the pink-haired man was one who could be relied upon, especially out in the dangers of the Wild. Then he felt a bit guilty, realizing that his relief was somewhat selfish as it was connected with relief that his own safety was more guaranteed with Deker alive and well. By the time he shook himself out of this dangerous spiral, he noticed that Deker and Michelle had finished their argument and the Bishokuya was asleep again. "I-is he still alright?" he asked, unsure of whether Deker was asleep due to exhaustion, whatever medicine he was given or if Michelle had knocked him out from annoyance. "He's fine." she answered. "We'll be back on track in the morning." She then looked and Hakku and gave him a kind smile. "Now, why don't you try getting some sleep? I'll keep watch. Hakku nodded and laid down on his sleeping bag, looking up at the trees, imagining how much further it would be before he would be able to see the ingredient they were after. After more than a few minutes, sleep took over and made him drift into his dreams. The Next Day Hakku woke with a start. He wasn't entirely sure what had caused him to start. If it was a bad dream, any memories of the dream faded faster than he could try to remember it. Then a shadow passed overhead and caused him to cast his eyes skyward. High above the trees, several Aero Serpents could be seen flying towards the lake. Then he remembered something that Michelle had said yesterday, after they had the delicious Picante Eagle. "Aero Serpents live in Chomb Trees..." he muttered, half to himself. He looked down to where the others were, last he saw. Deker was still snoring away, Zeke doing likewise not far from his partner. Michelle, however, was nowhere to be seen. He wondered where she had gone, then heard some rustling. Panic hit him immediately, not knowing what could be causing the noise and was about to scream before his employer appeared from the foliage. He release the pent up scream as a massive sigh of relief. "G'morning, Hakku." she said. "I know where the Chomb Trees are!" he exclaimed, almost like it was beyond his control. "Whoa whoa, calm down." Michelle remarked, allowing Hakku to take in a deep breath and relax before he repeated his statement. "The Aero Serpents, they're suppose to build nests in the Chomb Trees, which means if we find out where the serpents are, we find out where the trees are." Michelle took a second, thinking over what her employee said, and realized he was telling the truth. "I saw Aero Serpents flying towards the lake." he continued. "So I believe that the Chomb Trees are in that direction." He pointed in the opposite direction of the lake. Looking in that direction both could see that the Jungle appeared to rapidly grow thicker and darker in said direction. "Looks like it's only going to get harder to progress from here." Michelle commented with a small sigh and a slight smirk. Food always taste better the more work you put into getting it. A common feeling most in the Gourmet Age had, at least among Chefs and Bishokuyas. The Sous Chef walked over and gave the sleeping hunter a half nudge/half kick to wake him up. "Zzuh? Whazzat?" the pink haired man sat up, yawned loudly and then absent mindedly scratched at his bandages. "Whazzfer breakfast?" "You still have to go get it lazy!" She remarked in annoyance, slapping him upside the head. "Take Zeke and go get us some food." Deker groaned in annoyance, getting up from his sleeping bag and going towards his partner, waking him up and telling him to help him find some food. The two entered into the forest. They returned several minutes later, probably more like an hour or more, with armfuls of leaves and enough meat for everyone. "We found some Ridge Goats!" Deker exclaimed. "Glad they're in season too!" Michelle thought for a moment, then realized that the hunter was right. More specifically, it was the one day a year where the leaves and the meat of the Ridge Goat are both in season at the same time. "Great find!" she said as she took the leaves and the meat from Zeke and Deker and began preparing their breakfast. "You did get the leaves before you got the meat, right?" "Of course!" Deker replied, sounding slightly insulted. Breakfast was a light salad made of the Ridge Goat leaves with the meat of the Beast having been grilled and added to the salad. The leaves were surprisingly meaty in their flavor that enhanced the earthy gaminess of the actual meat. Overall, the dish tasted more like it was a bowl of meat rather than a salad. They all thanked for the meal and began to eat, feeling the fresh texture of the leaves meld perfectly with the juicy meat that was prepared. Despite it only being breakfast, Deker and Zeke ate enough to last through two meals, making Michelle yell at them with annoyance. The two immediately bowed in fear. Hakku couldn't help but chuckle at the situation while eating. Despite the imparent danger going on, he felt safe with them and almost welcomed, despite his normal bad luck. After everyone had eaten their fill, they set off in the direction that Hakku had indicated earlier. No one saw any reason not to believe that the Chomb Trees would be in that direction, so everyone was feeling very confident in their heading. The sounds, and occasional glimpses, of Aero Serpents overheard strengthened their confidence. However, they were forced to stop abruptly, unable to move forward. A Sudden Obstacle Before them was a massive ravine. It was far too wide to jump and was so deep they could barely see the river that had forged the obstacle. Ahead of them, on the other side of the ravine, they could see where Aero Serpents were descending and ascending from, what they could only assume to be, their nests. There were no signs of bridges to their left or to their right. Zeke growled at that specific part of the forest, sensing that something was there and having a bad feeling about continuing forward. "Easy big guy, don't worry, we can handle what's inside that forest," Deker assured him. The pink-haired man looked on and knew that something strong was in there. If his partner could sense it and be ready to pounce, then he'd have his hands full dealing with it. "Only question is, how do we get over there?" Michelle added, trying to find something of path they might have missed. "Please! This ravine isn't anything special! Hell, Zeke could probably make it over no problem," her partner replied with a cocky tone in his voice. "Could one of these trees be tall enough? Or, maybe a long rope?" The Combo looked at Hakku. "My Dad liked to watch Adventure shows and movies." he replied, looking a little embarrassed. "That's how they tended to cross ravines... by knocking over a tall enough tree or launching a rope across." "Worth a shot." Deker replied as he began scanning the nearby trees. One that was a few feet from them was the largest one ever that would easily reach the other side without any problems. "I don't know... you sure that thing will hold all of us?" Michelle inquired, looking over to Deker. "Zeke can jump to the other side so he won't have to cross it. It should hold the rest of us just fine," he replied. Zeke snorted out and past through the other trees, disappearing into the bushes. A few seconds later, the trio heard the sounds of snapping occurring, which then followed by a large breaking of the tree. It fell downward, reaching the other side without any trouble. The roar from the panda let them know that it was done. Then more crashing sounds and thudding footsteps. Suddenly the panda reappeared and launched himself across the ravine, making it to the other side with all the ease that Deker had said he would. Michelle then crossed the tree bridge slowly, but with grace. She was followed by Hakku, who scuttled across the tree on his belly, pausing once about halfway across after making the mistake of looking down. Deker then crossed as well. Once they were all across, the group set off towards their destination. The deeper they got into the new part of the forest, the more sounds of wild animals echoed, making them all stay on their toes. Zeke lead forward, tracking the scent of the Aero Serpent that Michelle made him sniff in order to not get lost. Behind him, the small group was trying their best to keep up with the large panda, feeling the muck of the heat begin to make them sweat. "Damn it all. Nobody said it'd be hot as hell here," Deker remarked, opening his vest to let the air blow against him. "Tell me about it," Michelle remarked, wiping her brow with a towel she took from her bag. "You doing okay Hakku?" "I... I'm okay..." Hakku said, gasping as he struggled forward in the muck. He was soaked in sweat and looked miserable. Slowly, gradually, going almost unnoticed by the group, the distinct sounds and smells of a swamp surrounded them. The odor of stagnant water, in which who know how much has died and decayed, the heavy scent of the plants that live off said liquid and the sounds of animals they hadn't heard anywhere else in Wul. "Damn..." Deker muttered. "When did we enter the Death Swamp?" "Guess the Aero Serpents and the Chomp Trees use the humidity in the swamp to grow and gain the nutrients. Still, why'd it have to be so damn hot," She remarked, taking off the jacket she was currently wearing. This left her in a tube-top that hugged her large breasts. Hakku couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock, never expecting to see anything like that, causing his nose to bleed slightly. If Michelle noticed it she probably attributed it to the heat, as she said nothing. Deker looked like he was about to say something with a sudden sound grabbed everyone's attention. The sound was panicked chirping, multiplied a dozen times over. Within moments of the sound reaching their ears, a large flock of Kiwi Kiwi sped into view. At least 30 of them raced in front of their eyes like arrows. As quickly as they appeared, they disappeared into the foliage. Another sound hit them like a wall. A massive roar, followed by several others. Then the ground beneath them began to shake and trees could be heard being snapped and smashed. Kingrano, five of them, arrived in front of the small group. "Oh crap! This is bad." Michelle remarked, realizing the capture levels of the beasts in front of them. Even with Zeke, they wouldn't leave there unscathed if they attack. Before she could say anything, the woman felt Zeke grab her and Hakku. "Come on Zeke, run!" Deker yelled out, taking off like a bat out of hell. The panda roared out and followed at an incredible speed, easily keeping up with his partner. Rushing through the swamp, predators pursued their possible prey. Fleeing from tree to tree, leaping from root to root the Chefs, Bishokuya and Beast fled from the Kings of the Swamp. Through another patch of growth and they found themselves staring at a massive corpse. The stench hit them like a wall, stopping them in their tracks. Looking up from the body of the striped equine was a group of the Swamps other apex predators. Five Tyrex glared at the intruders disrupting their meal. However, they weren't looking at the Panda and the Humans. The leering eyes went past them to their pursuers. Ten different Beasts let out near ear-splitting roars and charged each other. The clash between the Kings and the Tyrants allowed the smaller group to escape, though they still needed to escape the Swamp as well. Deker saw that it would soon get more and more destructive if they'd stay any longer. Looking around, he saw there was limited escape options in front of them. He looked over and saw two create an opening when they tumbled to the ground. Zeke knew what his partner was thinking and ran with all his might, having Deker hold onto him to make sure all of them would survive. After a few more miles of running, the panda stopped, panting heavily as he let down the others and sat down to take a rest. Orchard of Confusion The sounds of battle were now nothing more than a dull roar to their ears, but the adrenaline still had yet to subside from their systems. Several tense, but uneventful, minutes later they had all calmed down enough to try and regain their bearings. Watching the skies for the sign they had been following seemed to bear no fruit for what felt like an eternity. Then, with all the subtlety of a hurricane, an Aero Serpent shot overhead very near the ground. The wind the creature created buffeted the group. Regardless, they once again had their headings, and judging by the height of the Beast's flight, they were close. Michelle looked over to see Hakku shivering, still shaken with fear at what he experienced, not just once but twice this whole journey. She walked over to him, sitting down to his level and placed a hand on his shoulders. "I'm sorry Hakku. I didn't expect things to get this serious, and I know you must be trembiling with fear, but don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you," She said with a smile on her face. "Th-th-th-thanks..." the young, white-haired man managed to stammer. After a few more moments of rest, the group set off once again into the trees. The occasional rush of wind and the flash of a shadow across their field of vision told them they were still on the right track. As they continued forward, at a leisurely pace, things slowly grew more and more hazy. Or was it fog? Or mist? Then the shadows began to shift. To come alive. To move. Hissing. Growling. Threatening. Panic slowly crept into the heart. Hakku didn't understand why the others didn't react to the shadowy masses that loomed all around them. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't form words. The inability to speak caused more panic. His heart began beating so loud he was afraid it would burst. The fear only causing his heart to beat even harder. He felt his chest constrict. Breathing became difficult. Many short, shallow breaths were all he could take. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. The panic built up so much he was about to scream. And then everything was normal again. The mist was thicker, but everything was fine. Even the crushing panic was gone as if it had never been there. "What?" Hakku muttered, the confusion causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He looked over to find that Michelle was out of it, laying down on the ground and looking up at the top of the swamp, moving her head in a circular motion. "Crap... We're in their turf now," Deker said, making Hakku look over to see the pink-haired hunter give a serious look on his face. He quickly went over to check on Michelle, seeing that she had already succumb to whatever was in the air. "Are you still with me kid?" he inquired, looking over to Hakku. "Y-yeah..." Hakku replied. "S-somehow... What... What happened?" "It's the Chomb Trees." the hunter replied. "They release a mist from their roots, along with some hallucinogens. That's what this mist is. I should've noticed sooner." Zeke looked as stern as Deker, though the panda also looked a little unsteady, like he was fighting to stay awake. Deker picked up Michelle. Having draped the Chef over his shoulder, the pink-haired man set off again. "We're close." he said through gritted teeth. "Just. A few more. Yards..." They entered a clearing, the swirling mist even thicker than before. Overhead the sound of an Aero Serpent taking off sent down a gust of wind. For a brief moment, Hakku could clearly see the trees they had been searching for. "Those are the trees?" Hakku whispered, shocked by what he was witnessing as some of the trees were active, while others looked to be asleep. "Yep, looks like a few got restless from all that fighting that happened not too long ago," Deker remarked, putting Michelle down to the floor. "Look, right now, the effects on her should get out soon, but I have to go get those cherries. Stay here with Zeke, if anything tries to eat you, he'll do his best to protect you." Hakku couldn't see how anything would be able to function properly in this mist. He could feel the effects starting to creep up again. He did everything he could to concentrate all his focus on the pink-haired Hunter who was working his way up the trunk of the tree. Movement in the trees. A flash of green. Hakku couldn't tell if it was the mist or an actual threat. Even the resulting crack and scream from Deker, it came through fuzzy. Foggy. Was he hallucinating again? THUD A body lay before him. Deker's. The threat was real, but what was it? Just because it was a real threat didn't tell them anything more than that. "Damned vines..." Deker growled as he launched himself back up the trunk. Halfway up the flash of movement again. This time, Deker was more ready, striking back at the whipping vines. However, his progress was slowed even further. Hakku had no idea what came over him, but he started up the tree himself. The bark felt soft under him, like it was waterlogged or partially rotted. He wondered, vaguely, in the back of his head, if that was normal. He figured it was, since this was his first interaction with a Chomb Tree. Hakku was so focused on climbing that he didn't notice the vines lashing out at him as well. However, unlike with Deker, who was struck by the whips, they seemed to rot away before they reached Hakku. Suddenly, something began to manifest itself, giving a silhouette of what looked like a demonic being touching the very tree Hakku sat on. Its shape looked almost worm-like, having unusual and very horrid shapes on it as the hand, which showed to have suction cups, attached to the tree itself. Deker's instincts kicked in when he sensed the danger, causing him to turn around and see the figure in the mist, making him rub his eyes to check again. It had now disappeared, following up with breaking wood and a collapse, though in that current situation, he couldn't tell whether it was real or not. The pink-haired hunter shook his head and knew there wasn't any time left to worry about it and continued forward towards his prize, the cherries atop the trees. Finally arriving on one of the branches and seeing a pair of Chombs growing nearby, Deker took a deep breath and focused his appetite energy, causing him to summon up a construct in the shape of a spatula. With a swift thrust, he separated one Chomb from the stem. An instant after both Chombs exploded. The shock nearly knocked Deker out of the tree. "Now I see why they're called Ch''ombs''..." he said through gritted teeth as he clung to the branch. After he pulled himself up, he called over to the Chef-in-Training. "Careful, Haku! These things'll blow up on you!" "R-r-right..." Hakku replied as he slowly, nervously and unsteadily approached a pair growing near where he was on the branch. "D-did Michelle s-say how we're s-supposed t-whoa! To get these?" There was no reply from Deker. Either he fell, was concentrating on trying again, didn't hear the question or was purposely ignoring it because he forgot or didn't ask. Hakku was too afraid to turn and see which of the possibilities it was and kept his eyes on the large, red fruits hanging before him. They were a bright, healthy red that cherries are known for. The fruits were each about the size of his head and, as he got ever closer, there was a subtle, dark hue to give hint to a sour flavor. Again, Hakku almost lost his balance. Swaying, waving his arms frantically to try and remain on the branch, he reached out for anything to grab onto. Falling forward and feeling his heart leap into his throat, the air flee his lungs and his chest constrict with panic, he grabbed the only thing he could reach. Not feeling the sensation of falling, he slowly and fearfully opened his eyes and saw that he was leaning out over the void with his hands firmly gripped onto the stems of the Chombs he was approaching. With a quick move, he managed to regain his balance. Then he noticed that he was holding the Chombs, having pulled the pair from their branch, stem and all. "D-Deker!" he called over his shoulder, he was answered by an explosion. "Try... try plucking the pair s-stem a-and all!" His ally found himself coughing out some of the smoke that got blasted in his face, but still managed to hear what the chef-in-training had to say. Taking his idea to heart, Deker went to the first one he saw, going about it gently as he started to carefully place one hand on the fruit. The other now found it's way to where the stem was, carefully grabbing it together so when he pulled, all of them would come out without any trouble. When he believed that it was time, the Bishokuya took a deep breath and counted to three. One quick pull got him the fruit without the reaction of another explosion, making Deker chuckle in satisfaction as he lifted it to show Hakku. The Final Fight The Hunter then saw what was probably the last thing he wanted to see at the moment. An Aero Serpent had, somehow, snuck up on them and was looming over his companion. It probably arrived under the cover of the explosions that he had been setting off. "Hakku! Look out!" Deker roared as he hurled the Chombs he had picked at the winged snake. The Chombs hit the Beast's head, one of the Chombs separating from the stem and, as he had experienced several times, exploded an instant later. However, the smoke cleared and the creature didn't even seem to have noticed the attack. Aero Serpents live in Chomb Trees. Deker remembered Michelle saying. And if they live in these trees, then it would stand to reason that they would have developed some way of protecting themselves from the explosive fruits. "Damn..." Deker knew that the chef wouldn't last a second against the beast, and knew he had to draw it's attention away and focus it on him. He began to focus, tightening every muscle on his body as a brooding aura surrounded him, and before long, he roared out and summoned out an Appetite Devil that rose up. The devil's appearance was that of a dragon, which had on multiple scars on his body and a look that could make even the strongest of wills crumble in fear. Before long, the Serpent sensed the danger, followed by others that lived in the tree as more came out into the open, roaring out when they saw the apparition roar. The Intimidation worked as all of the Aero Serpents fled. The air filled with the beating of their wings and their cries of shock and terror. Then the world was silent. The mist silently swirled, carrying its visions with it. The adrenaline faded from their systems and nearly handed them over to the mist. They barely managed to fight off the hallucinations and Deker, now with the knowledge of how to pluck the Chombs, quickly gathered as many as he could reach and safely carry. Back on the ground they gathered Michelle and Zeke, who had lost to the mist at least once from the looks of the immediate area. With everyone together again, they left the mists of the Chomb Trees as fast as they could. That last move took quite a bit out of Deker, causing him to pant heavily and fall down on his knee to catch his breath. He gave a quick look to Hakku, who was still shaking from from fear after witnessing yet another frightening moment. After managing to control his breathing, the Bishokuya finished grabbing the cherries, bringing back about five since he didn't have a lot of hands to grab them. He gently placed them on the ground as Hakku came towards him, bringing a small handful he could gather. Michelle was still, very clearly, under the effects of the mist and Deker was feeling very hungry again. So, with little other choice that he could see, he bit into one of the Chombs. It broke away from the stem and then exploded. The Hunter collapsed out of the cloud of smoke, looking singed and frazzled. "Deker!" Hakku shouted, both in shock and horror, fearing that he just witnessed the Hunter's death. "*cough* I'm alright..." Deker replied, smoke streaming out of his mouth. He then struggled into a sitting position, looking dizzy from the concussive force he just received, but otherwise was fine. Once sitting, the Bishokuya glared at the fruits before him, wondering how anyone was supposed to eat them safely. "Th-they had to be picked a c-certain way..." Hakku said. "M-maybe the s-stems need to be re-removed a certain way t-too?" "Hm..." Deker mused. "That could be..." He then looked over at Michelle and sighed. "However," he said after a few seconds. "Let's wait until she's recovered and see if the Ingredients speak to her." Hakku nodded in agreement. Looking around, the Bishokuya couldn't sense any immediate threats to them at the moment and knew that it was the right call. He nodded to Hakku and got up, walking closer to Michelle and sat up against a normal tree, wiping his face free from the burns of the explosion. The group now found themselves in cover, waiting for their female companion to regain her senses and return to them. After what seemed like hours, Michelle's vision started to return back to normal, causing her to start feeling normal as the effects of the mist were dissipating from her body. "Ugh... What..what happened?" She wondered, sitting up and shaking her head to get rid of any lingering effects that were going on. Her attention looked over to her companions, one of whom had burned cheeks, making her inquire as to what happened when she was under. Deker quickly filled her in on what she missed after falling victim to the mist and then asked her if the Chombs they had were telling her anything. "The stem has to be removed from both simultaneously." she said after several moments of silence. Michelle then deftly demonstrated the proper stem removal procedure as if she had done it a thousand times before. "After that, you can eat them like any other cherry." Michelle and Deker then tried the Chombs that she had prepared. The first bite erupted into a sweet juiciness that exploded with each chew that they took, splashing around the walls of their mouths and pouring down their throats. "SO GOOOD!!! It's like biting into a fresh piece of watermelon with it's texture, then the sweetness gushes in and fills your mouth with a tangy flavor like an orange, but gives it a refreshing taste after words," Deker remarked with such enthusiasm. "Not only that, the very fruit itself is almost like a hollow shell, making it seem empty but gives the person who's eating an interesting surprise," Michelle added, biting down once again into her own cherry. Hakku looked at the Chombs he was holding, seeing the stem laying on the ground in front of him. He figured that Michelle had removed the stem while he wasn't looking and set one down to make it easier to eat the other. He bit into it and there was the flood of liquid like the Combo pair had said. Though his felt softer than they were describing and the flavor was... off. It was sweet and sour like they said but there was this other flavor he couldn't quite place. He swallowed the mouthful to ask them. However, as soon as the Chomb was consumed something inside of Hakku seemed to wake up. His muscles become more defined, his senses felt sharper and he became aware of something that had been with him his entire life. Gourmet Cells, an Appetite Devil, something that had been there since he was born, but he had been unaware. Now he knew, and so many things became clear to him. Why he had such horrible Food Luck, why people were repulsed by him, why everything seemed to go wrong for him. But he needed something to confirm this. He looked at the Chomb he was still holding and tried focusing all of his energy on it. Right before his eyes, the Chomb simply rotted away. Unfortunately, so did the one on the ground. And the grass around him. He managed to force himself to stop before the rot spread too far, and fell onto the now barren ground. Michelle and Deker quickly moved away, trying to avoid being part of the rotting process as they looked over to Hakku, who was looking at his hands like they were possessed. "What.. What's happening to me?" He asked with a shaky voice, almost like a small child. "I knew I sensed something off about you, you have Gourmet Cells in you," Deker declared, making Michelle widen her eyes with shock, then realizing that he was right. "When were you gonna tell me you had this sort of thing Hakku?" She asked, feeling a bit hurt that her new employee wouldn't tell her such a secret. "I didn't know!" Hakku replied, his voice cracking with fear. "Really!" "Well," Deker said, tentatively approaching. "If you've had these Cells since birth, there should be some scars to indicate this. Any scars that you've had forever?" Hakku sat there, still freaking out, but trying to remember if he had any such thing. He started to shake his head, then he remembered an off-handed comment one of his parents made years ago. Nodding slowly he said, "Y-yeah... On my b-back... But I had n-n-no idea th-they m-m-m-meant I had G-Gourmet Cells... honest..." Deker was about to yell out something, but got stopped by a karate chop against his stomach, courtesy of Michelle as she got up and walked over to him. The man couldn't help but give a pleading look, hoping beyond hope that she would believe his story and not abandon him like the other chefs. After a few seconds of silence, Michelle closed her eyes and exhaled a sigh, standing back up and offering Hakku her hand. "I believe you." Hakku had never felt so happy to hear three words. He took her hand, hoping he had stopped his new abilities for the time being. Once he was on his feet, Michelle went about preparing a meal to celebrate their acquisition of Chombs. Epilogue Back at the Hobble Restaurant, Michelle was once again at her position of Sous Chef and Hakku now had a permanent position keeping the knives sharp and in charge of aging the products that needed it. The young Chef-in-training was more confident now that there were some guiding hands to lead him down his chosen path. Michelle was happy with her new employee's progress. Deker even agreed to come by as often as possible to help Hakku train and gain better control over his newly awakened Gourmet Cells. The Bishokuya complained that the training was slow going and always said he felt sick afterwards, but was impressed by how hard Hakku tried regardless of how things were going. His complaints usually fell on deaf ears or were cut short by his Combo Partner. He usually stopped complaining once food was brought out as well. Ultimately Hakku was looking less like the nervous young man who entered the Hobble Restaurant such a short time ago and was becoming more and more one of the treasured members of society in the Gourmet Age, a proper Chef. Category:Chapter Category:A Decaying Beginning